Recent research published in ‘Nutrients’ suggests that the use of nonfood pre- or probiotics may have a potentially causal relationship with improved cognitive function in elderly males. The study analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011 to 2014, involving 19,931 individuals. After excluding certain participants, a total of 1,788 individuals were included in the analysis.
The research indicates that a decrease in microbial diversity in older individuals may result in disruption of intestinal barrier permeability, which could be a potential cause of cognitive impairment. Gut microbiota has been found to influence brain function and behavior through the gut-brain axis. Elderly individuals typically have a lower abundance of beneficial microbiota such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus compared to younger individuals.
Studies conducted on animals have shown that probiotic supplements can improve cognitive function by suppressing inflammatory responses and enhancing brain function. While some systematic reviews have been conducted on the effects of pre- or probiotics on cognitive outcomes, no consistent conclusions have been drawn.
The study authors highlight the need for further research on the effects of specific types of pre- or probiotics in individuals with different BMI levels to develop personalized intervention strategies. They also note that the study is observational in nature, making causal inference challenging, and potential confounders may have influenced the results.
Despite these limitations, the findings of this study suggest that nonfood pre- or probiotic use could be an effective strategy for improving cognitive function in elderly males. Further long-term prospective research is necessary to validate these findings.
Source: Nutrients, “Association between Nonfood Pre- or Probiotic Use and Cognitive Function: Results from NHANES 2011–2014” (Chen, J.; Yang, N.; Peng, Y.; Zhou, H.; Li, Q.).
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